Nuovi Amici
by NetRover
Summary: After the Door to Kingdom Hearts was sealed, Sora was separated from everyone to an unknown world where he meets Zell and Irvine. Now integrated with KH2! CHAPTER 8 FINALLY UPDATED! Rating's just for safety RR pls!
1. Meeting

Disalcimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor the characters. Ownership belongs to Squaresoft/Square Enix and Disney. I only own this fic.

A/N: Hi everyone. I just wanted to take a break from my other fic "The Magic of Believing" and wrote this, which is one of my two "Kingdom Hearts" stories that I want to post. 

            The story is more of an alternate ending to the game and continues on after that.

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**Meeting**

            Cerulean skies, emerald-green grass, and a light russet patch that cut through the meadow, this was the peaceful scenery that engulfed the shockingly bright blue eyes of a young boy. The spiky cinnamon locks that adorned his head swayed slightly to the soft breeze that currently blew. He wore a red shirt and trousers, a hodded black vest with white sleeves, and yellow shoes while two chains completed his outfit. One was dangling by his waist wile the other was about his neck with a pendant, in the shape of a crown, attached to it. The youth sighed as he remembered the events that resulted to him being alone in this grazing land.

            _~*~*~Flashback~*~*~_

_            "But…"_

_            "Don't worry," said Mickey, turning to him. "there will always be a door to the light."_

_            "Sora," Goofy called. "you can trust King Mickey."_

_            "The dog's right." encouraged Riku. "Even if I only met their King a few hours ago, I know he's right. Don't worry Sora, you'll find that door."_

_            With one last look at his silver-haired friend and the king, Sora, with the help of his companions, pushed the door closed. Stepping back, he summoned his Kingdom Keyblade, as did Mickey, and both pointed the Keys at the door to Kingdom Hearts. A beam of light emitted from their weapons, and hit bith sides of the door, surrounding it. After a few moments, it disappeared._

_            "What's going to happen to us?" Donald asked._

_            "Well, since this world's gonna go 'poof!', maybe we'll be sent to another world." Said Goofy._

_            "Hopefully, we'll still be alive after that." Sora commented._

_            The ground rumbled._

_            "What's going on?" the wizard exclaimed._

_            Before anyone could answer, a loud crack was heard. Glancing down, they saw numerous fractures on the ground, which split into many sections. Sora was separated from the other two. Then, another flash of light surrounded him and he fell unconscious._

_            ~*~*~End Flashback~*~*~_

            When he woke up he found himself in a bed of grass by the path in this meadow. Though it was serene, he still felt the pang of loneliness. For some odd reason, he somehow knew that his friends were safe in their own worlds.

            "I can't say the same for myself, though." he mumbled. "Might as well walk around."

            He did just that and followed the seemingly never-ending path. 

            Soon enough trees began to increase in number, giving him the hint that he was entering a forest. He then realized that he was in a new world, and an uncharted one at that. 

            _'Now what do I do?'_ he thought to himself, summoning his Kingdom Keyblade just for the sake of entertainment.

            His question was answered in the form of a Heartless; however, one that he has never seen before. It was similar to a Shadow, it was still black, had yellow eyes, and had antennas, but it had a body similar to a human's. It looked at him, and started creeping towards the Keyblade.

            "What the?!" he shouted, shocked.

            He tried to slash the Heartless, but it jumped back, surprisingly, with great agility. He summoned the Metal Chocobo Keyblade and got serious with the Heartless he dubbed the NeoShadow.

            "There's no way you're getting my heart or the Keyblade!" he exclaimed.

            Even if it had no mouth, Sora had the feeling the NoeShadow was smirking at him. He waited for it to make the first move, which it did, and got his chance. Before he could kill it, though, a shot rang in the air, a bullet grazing his ear. To his surprise the NeoShadow fell over and faded away, the way all Heartless do when they die. 

            Registering his shock, he looked around to find the source of the bullet. He heard a few voices behind a thicket. Pushing away some leaves, he found two men arguing. One of the men was tall and had long brown hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail, wore a purple shirt, khaki pants and overcoat, and dark brown boots.. The other was shorter than the other and had spiky blonde hair, wore a red vest over a black shirt, blue trousers, and rubber shoes that matched his vest. Both wore fingerless gloves.

            At first, Sora thought that the two were Leon and Cloud, but taking a closer look, he knew that they weren't. For one, Cloud's hair didn't spike up like that, and for another, Leon didn't wear a cowboy hat. The men were arguing about something, and both were trying to get a rifle out of the other's grasp. He now knew where the bullet came from, but he was curious as to who shot it, so he listened in.

            "Give me that! You almost shot the kid!" the blonde shouted, pulling on the rifle.

            "That's 'cause he moved forward!" the brunette retorted. "Give me my rifle back!"

            "The point is, you almost shot him! Now let go before…"

            One of them accidentally pulled the trigger, Sora wasn't sure who, and another bullet shot out and up into the trees, scaring away a few birds. He figured that he better cut into the conversation before someone _really _gets hurt.

            "Uh…guys?" he said, cutting the fight.

            The two men paused and looked at Sora. Suddenly, the blonde let go of the rifle while the taller man hid it behind his back. Both had a nervous smile on their faces. The shorter of the two moved towards him.

            "Listen kid, I had nothing to do with it! He was the one who pulled the first shot." he said.

            "What? You told me to shoot the…that…thing!" countered the other.

            "Guys!" Sora interrupted. "It's okay, I'm fine with it!"

            "You are?" the first asked. "Well in that case…what's your name, kid? And what're you doing in a place like this?"

            "Don't call me kid." said the Keybearer. "Anyway, the name's Sora. And as to why I'm here…well…let's just say that I'm not from around here."

            "Around here in general or as in not from this world?" stated the second.

            Sora stared at the tall man.

            "What are you saying?" he asked, bewildered.

            "What I'm saying is if you were going to say that you're from another world, we'll believe you." the man replied.

            "We're from another world too." the blonde explained.

            "Who are you, anyway?" Sora inquired.

            "I'm called Zell, Zell Dincht. Plain Zell will do." the blonde said, introducing himself. "Martial artist of Balamb Garden."

            "And I'm Irvine Kinneas. Just call me Irvine" the brunette said, following suit. "Sharpshooter of Galbadia Garden."

A/N: Ah, a bit of a cliffhanger there as you can see. Well, should I continue? R+R please! 


	2. Explanations and Discoveries

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor the characters. Ownership belongs to Squaresoft/Square Enix and Disney. I only own this fic.

A/N: Not a healthy number of reviews, but I can manage. Oh, yeah. Does anyone have any info on the new Heartless in Final Mix? If you do I'd appreciate it if you could tell me.

            Anyway, thanks to Nenya and Leann-Chan for the nice reviews. At least I know that this is actually being read.

            Okay, on with the fic!

Explanations and Discoveries 

            As the sun sets, most get settled in for a good night's rest, except for three beings. They have gathered enough wood for the night and have made a small camp fire in the clearing that was found in the middle of the forest. The three were positioned around the source of light and warmth, talking about various things.

            Sora was seated on a log, currently staring at the flames. Irvine was leaning on a boulder, reloading his rifle. Zell, on the other hand, was shadowboxing, while still managing to keep up a conversation.

            "So, what are these _Gardens_ you say you come from?" Sora asked.

            "Well, they're kind of like military academies…" started Irvine.

            "Kinneas, they _are_ military academies." Zell corrected.

            "_Anyway_! As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted." the sharpshooter continued, glaring at the blonde. "They're military academies where the students have reagular education and are trained for combat situations."

            "Balamb Garden has a special combat unit, called SeeD, where cadets need to pass certain exams to get appointed to it." added Zell. "Those who pass the tests are called SeeD's."

            "And you two are SeeD's?"

            "Just Zell, here." said Irvine. "SeeD is a unit of Balamb Garden only."

            "Now, you seem to know a lot about those things you call Heartless." Zell stated. "What I want to know is _why_ you know so much."

            "Well, I don't know how to put it simply, but the best explanation as to why I know about them is that I've encountered lots throughout my journey." explained the Keybearer. "Being given the Keyblade, I was sent on a quest to lock passageways that Heartless can come through in any world I stumble upon…"

            "Wait," Irvine said. "Keyblade…?"

            "Oh, this." Sora replied, summoning the Kingdom model.

            Irvine nodded as a sign to continue.

            "Right, so, to lock the passageways is to simply look for a 'Keyhole' that is hidden in all worlds." the teen continued. "Actually, I wouldn't have known much if my friends hadn't explained it to me, or if I didn't read Ansem's Report…oh, yeah!"

            Irvine and Zell jumped at the boy's sudden exclamation. Sora was searching his pockets, looking for something. After a moment, he pulled out a small notebook from his vest.

            "Here," he said, handing it to Irvine. "It'll explain most of what you need to know."

            "We'll see." the sharpshooter commented. "But can you explain why they suddenly have a human-like form? I mean, when I first saw them they looked like bugs."

            "The Shadows, at least." stated Sora. "For some reason, they seem a lot more powerful than when I battled them. I don't know about the other Heartless."

            "So, other than a Shadow, how are we supposed to tell if something's a Heartless?" Zell asked, going back to shadowboxing.

            "Other than the glowing yellow eyes, you should see this symbol," the teen replied, etching the Heartless crest on the ground. "either on their clothes or on their chests."

            "Well that settles things for know." said Irvine, yawning. "Who'll take the first watch?"

            "I'll do it." Zell volunteered. "I don't feel much like sleeping yet."

            "Obviously." the other commented, tipping his hat forward to cover his eyes.

            Soon, the deep, even breathing of the sharpshooter indicated that he was fast asleep. Zell halted his drill and sat down on a stump. It was then that he noticed that his newest companion, who was across him, was still gazing into the depths of the fire.

            "Hey, Sora." he called, making the boy jump. "You can sleep, you know. I said I'm taking first watch."

            "Nah, can't sleep." the youth replied. "Besides, I just got up from unconsciousness that lasted for…I don't know how long, so I'll just sleep when it comes to me."

            A short moment of silence fell upon them before a thought came to Sora.

            "Hey," he started. "how do you two get around?"

            "Walking?" Zell humored.

            "Very funny." Sora retorted sarcastically. "I mean how do you get around worlds?"

            "We don't." the blonde replied. "Basically we've been stuck on this one. Nine years at least."

            "So you don't have any means of transportation?"

            "No. Do you?"

            "I used to. But I don't know if there's one here, or if ther're materials that I can work on.."

            "You mean if you can find the right stuff you can get out of this joint?"

            Sora nodded, he learnt how to make a gummi ship thanks to Chip and Dale.

            "Then you've got yourself some travel buddies!" Zell exclaimed, grinning. "Looks like you're gonna be stuck with us for a while."

            "Do I have a choice?"

            Both laughed at the remark. The liveliness of the moment didn't last though. Another moment of silence descended upon them. Zell squirmed in his seat, not used to the lack of activity.

            "Man, how can Squall put up with this kind of thing?" he mumbled softly after five minutes.

            Though it was a mere whisper, Sora heard it, his eyes widening slightly at a single word he heard in the sentence.

            '_Squall?_' he thought. '_Where did I hear that name before?_'

            He tried to rack his memory to remember where he heard the name before, but it only caused a wave of fatigue to crash into him. He let out a loud yawn as his eyelids began to droop.

            "I see sleep's coming to you." chuckled Zell. "Go on, get some shut eye."

            Sora nodded and slid down on the ground, using the log he was previously sitting on as a headrest, the thought of the name being familiar still running in his head. As he slipped of to unconsciousness, he dreamt of a scene that occurred when he was yet to know that he was the Keyblade Master.

            ~*~*~_Sora's Dream_~*~*~

            _"I'm so glad you're okay, Kairi."_

_            "Kairi? Who are you talking about? I'm the great ninja Yuffie."_

            A flash obscured Sora's vision for a moment, then the image of Kairi disappeared and was replaced by none other that Yuffie. The cheery ninja turned to someone standing in the shadows.

            "I think you might've overdone it, Squall."

            Sora then saw the man who guided him throughout his journey step out of the shadows and correct Yuffie.

            "That's Leon."

            ~*~*~End Dream~*~*~

            Sora jolted up, awake from the discovery that came to him in his sleep. Glancing around, he saw Zell stomping out the remains of the campfire, while Irvine was collecting fruit from a nearby tree.

            "Well, it's about time!" said Irvine, who tossed him an apple. "We've been trying to wake you up for half an hour now."

            "Well I slept late." he complained.

            "Got that right." Zell agreed, covering the ashes with earth. "But now that you're awake, we can get moving."

            "Huh?"

            "You said that if you can find the right stuff you can get us out of here, so, like I said before, you're stuck with us!"

            "I saw a sign that said a town's two miles away when I was gathering fruit." Irvine informed. "Let's head there first."

            "How are we sure that sign's not misleading?" Sora asked.

            "Because it looks like it's been put up only yesterday."

            Having no alternative route, Zell and Sora finally let the sharpshooter led the way to the direction the sign pointed. At first, their conversation consisted of the topic of the Heartless, but the Keybearer quickly remembered his dream.

            "Zell?" he piped up.

            "Yep?" the martial artist replied.

            "Last night, you mentioned something like Squall, right?" the youth inquired, the name passing through his lips like a new word.

            Zell and Irvine paused at the name and turned to look at the teen.

            "Yeah…" said the blonde.

            "He was a friend of ours." Irvine explained. "We got separated when the Heartless attacked our world."

            "Look, can we drop this?" asked Zell.

            Sora was startled at the statement, but kept calm.

            "Squall was Zell's best friend." Irvine whispered to Sora. "They were pretty close considering on how Zell could get the lone wolf, as some people called Squall, to open up. You know, they were more like brothers now that I think about it."

            "Okay, we can drop the subject. But can I ask you something first?" Sora asked, knowing that his information will cheer both men up.

            Both nodded, Zell a little hesitantly.

            "Does Squall have brown hair, grayish-blue eyes, pale skin, a single earring on his left ear, and scar on his face that starts on the right side of his forehead and ends under the corner of his left eye?" he asked, managing to say all that in one breath.

            His companions were in shock that he was able to accurately describe the stoic Gunblade wielder's facial features down to the scar.

            "How…h-how do you know?" Zell countered.

            "Because I've met him." Sora replied.

            "Do you have proof?" Irvine asked.

            Sora said nothing but held out the Lionheart Keychain given to him by Leon.

A/N: Another semi-cliffhanger! ^_^ I think it's the only way to get reviews. Please R+R, I need the encouragement! Well, 'till next time.


	3. Reminiscing and New Troubles

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was out of the house most of the time, plus, I suffered writer's block. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews so far! ^_^ They really helped me to continue. It's nice to see that people actually read this.

            Oh, yeah. Before I forget, with school coming up, I won't be able to update as often as I'd like. Sorry again for the delay.

Reminiscing and New Troubles 

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            Silence hung in the air as light glinted from the silver Keychain that was held by the young brunette. His friends just stared at the object, trying to register their surprise. Zell was the one to speak up first.

            "What the- where did you get that?"

            "He gave it to me." the youth answered.

            "Why?"

            "I dunno. I guess it was just a prize at beating him at a tournament."

            "Wait, let me get this straight." said Irvine. "You beat Squall, weilder of the Lionheart Gunblade, in a fight?"

            "Yeah, but I think he was going easy on me." Sora explained. "I saw him fight better in his other matches."

            "Squall, going easy on someone?" Zell repeated. "Now I've heard everything."

            "You should see him fighting Heartless, then."

            "Um, hold that thought." said the sharpshooter, glancing around and taking out his rifle.

            Heartless began to emerge around them. To their surprise, the group consisted of the regular Shadows and the NeoShadows.

            "How the hell did they find us?!" Zell exclaimed, punching one of the smaller creatures.

            "They follow the darkness in someone's heart." Sora explained, using the Keychain to summon his own Lionheart. "But they're also following the Keyblade, so it's partially my fault."

            "Don't blame yourself, kid." Irvine replied, shooting three Shadows at a time. "These Heartless, like you said, have become more powerful than before. I'm willing to bet that even if you didn't have your weapon that they'd still would've found us."

            "Okay, enough with the pep talks." said the blonde. "It's time we dealt with these stinkin' Heartless!"

            The fight began. Irvine shot those that were far away, Sora slashed those who dodged the bullets, while the ones who got past the Keyblade came face to face with Zell's fists. The Heartless began to lessen, and soon, all that was left was one NeoShadow.

            "I'll deal with this one." said Zell. "It's time to get to some real Shadow-boxing."

            His companions groaned at the pun, yet stepped back to let him do what he wanted.

            The NeoShadow attacked first, trying to tackle the martial artist. Zell dodged it and countered with a roundhouse kick, sending the Heartless down. Zell prepared for a final attack, his fist engulfing in flames. Before he could land the blow, the Heartless made a futile attempt to attack the blonde as it got up, resulting the fire to consume it entirely before it faded away as another 'heart' floated up to the sky. Zell brushed himself off, his face beaming with pride.

            "Well, that was easy."

            "Don't get to cocky." said Sora. "The Shadows and the Neos are the weakest of all Heartless. There are others that're tougher to beat."

            "The more the better!" the blonde commented. "It's been a long time since I had a challenge."

            "That's 'cause you keep using your GF's." Irvine stated walking past Zell.

            "I do not!"

            "This's gonna be a long day." Sora muttered, following the arguing duo.

            As they made their way to the town, Zell suddenly turned to the Keyblade Master.

            "Hey, kid. Is Squall still anti-social?"

            "Huh?" the boy said, startled at the question. "Kinda, but he gives me information and advice when I need it."

            "So he hasn't changed much, then." the martial artist stated.

            "I wouldn't know. He didn't like to talk about his past."

            "Goes to show that he _is_ the Squall we all came to know." said Zell.

            "Probably not, since he doesn't like to be called Squall." said the youth. "He uses the name _Leon_ as far as I know."

            "Leon?" Zell chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Couldn't he be more original?"

            "What do you mean?"

            "I'm sure that he took it from his last name: Leonheart." the blonde explained.

            "Hey!" Irvine called as he neared the town. "I think you two might want to take a look at this!"

            Zell and Sora, who were lagging behind due to their conversation, ran up to Irvine. What they saw slightly unnerved them. Yes, the town was there, and it looked like it was freshly built. A platinum colored street signaled the town's entrance, and buildings of various kinds covered both sides of the path. However, it was empty, void of any living being. Irvine took a cautious step forward and raised his rifle. A bullet flew straight from the weapon and into the alley. When nothing else happened, Zell spoke up as Sora summoned his Keyblade.

            "Should we go in?"

            _"If you want to keep on living your pathetic lives, I suggest that you keep away from this town."_

            The three immediately went to a fighting stance, looking around.

            "Who are you?" Zell shouted, with fists clenched tight.

            _"Wouldn't you like to know Mr. Dincht? You seem to be curious about the simplest things. Isn't that what got your good friend and commander in trouble in the first place?" _the voice mocked.

            Zell's eyes widened at the statement as he began to shake with rage.

            "Oh, no." Irvine whispered loud enough for only Sora to hear. "Zell's not going to be able to control himself if this goes on."

            The teen got the hint and attempted to change the topic.

            "Why should we listen to you? For all we know you just want us to stay out here and die."

            _"Close enough, Keyblade Master."_ the voice answered._ "But I'm afraid that if you fail to listen to what I say, you can very well consider yourselves as naught among the living. I want you to stay out of there, yes. But I want you very much alive."_

            "I'll ask again, why should we believe you?" Sora repeated.

            _"Isn't it obvious to you by now? I want to fight and kill you myself!"_

            Sora switched the Lionheart to the Oblivion.

            "Sorry, but the last guy who tried that was completely consumed by the darkness."

            _"Foolish lad. I **am** the darkness."_ the voice chuckled. _"All those who are consumed are absorbed by myself. Hence, making me stronger and more powerful as time goes by. If you still don't believe me, here is a small gift I would like to leave you with."_

A dark patch appeared in front of the group.

            _"Good luck with the new Wyverns!"_

With that, the owner of the voice seemingly disappeared and three Wyverns flew out of the dark portal. Taking a god look at them, Sora saw that they have, indeed, been improved. Their wings no longer had holes of tears, horns sprouted backwards from their heads, their snouts, necks and tails were longer and slimmer, and their fangs were obviously sharper. They looked more like dragons with no arms then the Wyverns Sora was used to.

            "Just three? That's it?" Irvine asked. "Either he's underestimating us or he means what he said."

            As if to prove the sharpshooter's second theory, one of the flying Heartless swooped down to attack. Seeing the action, Irvine immediately aimed and shot. To his surprise, the Wyvern dodged the bullet, sweeping lower and knocking him down with a head butt.

            "Irvine!" Sora shouted.

            Quickly afterwards, the second and third Wyvern shot towards Sora and Zell respectively. Things were not looking good.

A/N: Sorry again for the delay. Well, just so you know school's up and I might not get the chance to update as much anymore. But I promise that I will finish this fic. Oh, yeah, do you have any suggestions or requests? I'll be happy to consider them if you put them in your reviews! Well, 'till next time!


	4. Connections

A/N: Ah, finally, a day without homework! Special thanks to Nenya and Cloud-123 for reviewing at least twice!

        Well, you know the drill, read and review and send in suggestions along with 'em!

            By the way, if anyone has information on what new Heartless (any type) look like, please tell me. I need all the help I can get. I only made the Wyverns look better in my own way, but I'm not sure if that's what they would really look like in Final Mix.

            On with chapter 4! What will happen to the three now that the Heartless are faster? Oh yeah, to those who like Rinoa, sorry but she won't be appearing in this fic. I'm concentrating on the reunion of the three guys I like most in FF8. 

Connections 

            "Look out!"  shouted Irvine shooting at the Wyverns heading for his companions.

            He ducked right after making the shot as the Wyvern that targeted him zoomed over the space where he had been just a second before.

            "Concentrate on yours first!" called Zell, dodging his Wyvern and trying to counter with a backhand.

            It sped past the attack and flew up high again.

            "They're flying up too high!" Sora exclaimed, as his hovered high as well.

            "Stinkin' excuses for birds!" Zell growled. "We have to find a way to get them down!"

            "How?" replied Irvine. "They're too fast!"

            Suddenly a flash shortly illuminated the sky, making the Wyverns screech.

            "Yow!" said Zell, covering his ears. "You'd thing they've been hit by lightning or something!"

            "That's it!" shouted Sora, startling the other two.

            He raised his Keyblade and pointed it to the sky.

            "Thunder!" he shouted.

            The weapon momentarily sparked with electricity before a bolt of the element shot out towards the heavens. Soon after, multiple bolts shot down from the sky and sped to the Wyverns. The three Heartless didn't even have time to move as the currents of energy were too fast and hit them dead center. They gave out high-pitched screeches once again as the high voltage surged through them. They faulted in their hover for a moment before regaining their composure, though still slightly dazed.

            "You're kidding me!" Sora complained.

            "They can still get up?" Zell exclaimed. "You'd think they'd go down after being struck, but _no_, they still chose to fly high!"          

            "Hey! Why didn't I think of that?" Irvine suddenly exclaimed. "Stand back you two! If these Wyverns want to stay in the air, I'll give them something that's really worth fighting!"

            Sora and Zell did as told. Irvine closed his eyes and concentrated his energy to a single thought.

            _'Airborne serpent, Guardian Force of lightning, come forth and aid me with your skills in battle.'_ Irvine opened his eyes and raised his hand, palm up, to the sky. _'I SUMMON YOU, QUEZACOTL!'_

            Like Sora's Keyblade, a bolt shot out from Irvine's palm and out to the sky. But instead of sending lightning bolts back to the ground, the clouds gathered and darkened. A thunderclap later, something swooped down from the sky that was too fast to fully distinguish. All Sora was able to see was a streak of yellow, nothing more. What shocked him, though, was that the yellow streak headed for Irvine and stopped in front of the sharpshooter. Taking a closer look, the Keyblade master realized that the streak was a creature of some sort. It looked to Sora like a giant bird with no facial features. It was yellow with green stripes highlighting certain areas of its head and body. Plus, it was two times bigger than the Wyverns. Irvine reached forward and petted its snout, in the place where there was supposed to be a beak. He then pointed to the Heartless.

            "Go get 'em!" he commanded.

            The giant bird made no sound, but it complied by heading straight for the Heartless.

            As the battle of the winged creatures started, Zell marched to Irvine.

            "You had Quezacotl _junctioned_, and you didn't _summon_ him before we were nearly _torn apart_?" he asked, exasperated.

            "Hey, I forgot, so sue me." shrugged Irvine then turned to the Guardian. "Go, Quezacotl, Thunderstorm!"

            Sora watched, speechless, as Quezacotl, as Zell called it, glowed a bright yellow and flew higher. It reared its head back and energy gathered in front of its snout. Then, snapping its head forward, lightning discharged from the tip of its snout and surged to the Wyverns. They screeched once again and twitched slightly, but remained in the air.

            "They don't want to give up!" exclaimed Sora.

            The Wyverns attacked again, this time all at once, towards Quezacotl. The GF furled its wings in front of it, and created a makeshift shield of electricity, protecting itself from the attack. The three hit the shield at the same point and, though giving no damage, were still able to push the spirit a distance back.

            "Don't let them get the better of you!" Irvine shouted. "Boost it up!"

            Quezacotl glowed once again. But this time, instead of firing electricity from his snout, he shot up into the dark clouds. A split second later, a huge lightning bolt, big enough to hit all the Wyverns, shot down from the spot where the lightning spirit flew up. The three had to cover their eyes from the glare of the attack. After a few seconds, they all lowered their arms from their faces to find the Wyverns fall to the ground, electricity visibly running through them, before "fading away" as three hearts floated up to the sky. Quezacotl then flew down from the sky and took his place beside Irvine.

            "Thanks." said the sharpshooter, patting the Guardian's snout once again. "You can rest now."

            The winged serpent nodded and flew up to the dark clouds. A flash of lightning and a thunderclap later, the sky brightened once again as the clouds parted.

            "Woah!" Sora exclaimed. "What was that?"

            "That, my friend, was a Guardian Force, GF for short." Irvine said. "Something that helps you when you call for it."

            "Oh, like a spirit?" asked Sora, remembering those that aided him before the worlds were restored.

            "Huh?" said Zell.

            "Never mind."

            "Well, now what?"

            "What do you mean?"

            "I mean do we go in?" said Zell, indicating the deserted town. "Or do we listen to whoever that was?"

            The blonde growled the latter statement and Sora wasn't sure what to answer. Usually he'd just let things happen in situations like this. But now, he was fairly sure that telling Zell to follow what the voice said would just add up to the martial artist's frustration. Before he could respond though, a glow emitted from his Lionheart Keychain, bringing him out of his thoughts.

            "What's happening?" he stated, bringing the said artifact out.

            "We were hoping you'd tell us." said Irvine, looking just as startled as he was.

            The Keychain glowed brighter and a beam of light emanated from it.

            "Where's this thing pointing to?" Zell muttered, squinting his eyes to see where the beam led.

            _'Follow the light.'_

Sora looked around.

            "Did you hear that?" he asked the other two.

            "Hear what?" Zell asked.

            _'Follow the light.'_

            "There it is again!" he said, looking around once more.

            "We don't hear anything, Sora." said Irvine.

            _'I know you're lost, kid.'_

            It was after that statement that Sora recognized the voice.

            _'Leon?'_

A/N: Sorry, but I have to cut it here. I was suddenly hit by a bad case of writer's block. Wait, does anyone want to know about why Zell got so mad about the "curious aren't we, Mr. Dincht" comment? Well, like I said, you know the drill. R&R!


	5. Trust

A/N: Well, here's the next installment. Like I said before, I have lots of homework, but I'll update as often as I can. Not much to say but I'm gonna need some of the new names, if there are, of the Heartless. 

            Sorry if Leon's kind of OOC, but I had to find the right lines for the situation.

            Well, on with the fic!

Trust__

_            'Leon?' _he thought.

            _'Yup.'_

Suddenly, time seemed to freeze around Sora. Tree branches stopped dancing to the wind, which has paused as well. Even Zell and Irvine have frozen in mid-actions. The martial artist was still looking at the direction to where the beam went, while the sharpshooter was in the process of reloading his gun, a bullet suspended in the air as he readied the rifle.

            _'What happened?'_

_            'I needed to talk, but this link can't last more than a few seconds in real time, so I decided to ask someone to slow it down.'_

_            'Who…?'_

_            'I'll tell you later. I know you're in a fix, kid, so I'm trying to help.'_  

_            'How did you know?'_

_            'Cloud.'_

_            'He's there?'_

_            'He appeared after the worlds were restored. Informed us just now that he felt something dark going near you.'_

_            'Wha- how?'_

_            'Your Keyblade is a source of light, he still has the power of darkness, and I'm guessing you can figure it out from there.'_

_            'Still the man with few words, huh, Leon?'_

_            '…'_

_            'Oh, c'mon! I was only kidding!'_

_            'That's exactly why I didn't answer. Now, do as I say before this link drops.'_

_            'But Leon, the light you're telling me to follow leads straight into this freaky town…'_

_            'That swallows those who are lost and without a guide.'_

_            'What? You know about this?'_

_            'Surprised?'_

Sora remembered the times Leon knew a vast amount of information about a certain topic. That was the reason the teen always turned to the older brunette. The only time Leon didn't know about something was when Sora presented him with the gummi block, but that's out of the topic.

            _'Fine.'_ he thought. _'It's not like I have any other choice.'_

_            'Good, follow the light, you'll find a gummi ship waiting for you, use that and find your way here to Hollow Bastion.'_

_            'I'll try, Leon, but I have no idea of where I am.'_

_            'Hn, it's not like that's stopped you before, has it?'_

Sora paused, not used to hearing the usually stoic Gunblade wielder give words of encouragement.

            _'No, it hasn't.'_

_            'Besides there's a video-link installed. If you need aid, don't hesitate to contact us.'_

Sora grinned; Leon was back to his normal self, well, the way Sora knew him, of course, but the way Zell and Irvine…

            Wait, he forgot to tell Leon about those two.

            _'The link's about to break, kid, good luck.'_

_            'Hang on! I forgot to tell you something!'_

            As the world around him resumed motion, making him realize that his last message wasn't picked up by the man he called his mentor. As he was contemplating this, he didn't notice Zell turn to him.

            "Well?"

            He snapped back to the present situation.

            "Sorry?"

            "Well? What do we do now?" the blonde asked again.

            "We follow the light." Sora stated simply.

            "What!" exclaimed Irvine.

            "I said we follow the light." Sora repeated.

            "But you heard what that voice said." argued Irvine. "What if what it said was true, and we can consider ourselves dead the moment we enter?"

            "What I heard just now was Leon…er…Squall telling me that if we just follow the light, we'll find our way." said the youth. "And I don't know about you, but I trust him more than I trust that voice."

            The boy started for the entrance of the eerie town before glancing at his companions, who were currently speechless.

            "It only depends if you trust me…" he hesitated before adding. "just like you trust Squall."

            The two briefly looked at each other before coming to a decision. Irvine was first to pipe up.

            "Kid, I'm not sure where this beam of light will lead us, but you're our only chance out of this place." he said. "But prepare to be bombarded with questions later."

            "I look forward to it." Sora said sarcastically. "Zell?"

            "What could it hurt?" said the martial artist. "Besides, you make a convincing point."

            "Right." Sora grinned, turning back to the path. "Now, let's go."

            The three allies then headed inside, literally placing their lives on a single beam of light.

A/N: Wow! Can you believe it? I finally finished the fifth chapter _and_ it was the first one without a fighting scene! Yay! Well, 'till next time! R&R pls!


	6. Inner Conflict

Disclaimers for chapters three, four five and six: see first two chapters.

A/N: Sorry again for the delay, it was exam week, and I couldn't find the time to write or update.

            Anyway, not much to say for now except thanks to the ones who reviewed chapter 5. I'm glad somebody liked it even if it was so short. This one will be longer, I promise. Sorry if the characters are a bit, or a lot, OOC, but, hey, I had to improvise on the situation.

Inner Conflict 

****

            _'The link's about to break, kid, good luck.'_

_            'Hang on! I forgot to tell you something!'_

            A foggy gray mist suddenly obscured his vision as the telepathic link suddenly cut without warning. Energy seemed to rush out, leaving him as if he just came from a long mission. Opening his eyes slightly, he was forced to shut them again as blinding light rushed in from the library window. 

            _'Ugh, the kid wanted to tell me something…ran out of time…what could he have found?'_

            He held his head with one hand as thoughts sprung out in his mind. Tired and worn-out, he decided to figure out what questions and doubts he had later and take a rest before anything else happens.

            …

            No such luck was bestowed upon him.

            "Squall!"

            The ex-commander groaned partially from being disturbed, and partially from being called the name of which he wished to forget. Turning his head, he glared at the bouncy ninja who grinned at him from across the room.

            "Yuffie…"

            "Yeah, yeah, I know," she teased, then in a low voice added. "_it's Leon._"

            He continued glaring at her but she just grinned again, unfazed by his antics.

            "C'mon Leon, admit it!" she continued. "You're worried about him!"

            "He needs the advice," he said. "there's a difference."

            "Leave him alone Yuffie." came another voice. "He needs rest after that."

            Yuffie turned to the source of the feminine voice.

            "Aerith, he's worried about Sora! You know it, I know it, he knows it…"

            "We're all worried about him." Aerith interjected. "Leon just did what he what he did before."

            "That doesn't change the fact…"

            "How are you sure the light will lead him to safety?" another voice asked.

            They all turned to a figure leaning on one of the bookshelves. Leon folded his arms over his chest and answered simply.

            "Because it worked for me."

            "You're another one, Cloud." Yuffie said. "Worried about Sora yet not admitting it!"

            The ex-SOLDIER's brow furrowed dangerously at his bubbly companion.

            "That's enough, Yuffie." said Aerith. "Keep playing with fire and you're going to get burnt. In this case, you're playing with two."

            "Fine, but I better get an answer from them soon!" said the ninja, skipping to the door. "If anyone wants to find me I'll be helping Cid."

            "I'll go with you, you might get lost again." said Aerith humorously, as she walked out the door ahead of Yuffie.

            "That was an accident!" exclaimed Yuffie, running after her friend and shutting the door.

            A few moments of silence passed before Leon growled under his breath and turned to the only other person left in the room.

            "What do you want, Strife?" he asked sternly.

            "A convincing answer." said the blonde.

            "Aerith put a spell on that Keychain." Leon responded. "It makes sure that the beholder is pointed in the right direction."

            "Fine." Cloud stated, pushing himself from his position from the wall. "However, if anything happens to the kid because of your so called 'advice' I'll be putting the blame on you. As much as I hate to admit it in front of another, I'm worried about him and I want to help, but it seems that you're the only one who is capable of doing that now while I can only sense him."

            That was the longest thing Cloud has ever said since coming to Hollow Bastion, and as the blonde walked out of the library, a flap was heard and Leon assumed that the other has flown to wherever he might please.

            _'Like I'd ever want him to get in trouble.'_ thought Leon.

            He sighed and leaned back against the chair while shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun.

            _'Not now…not after what happened to me…my world…my allies…my friends…'_

            _~*~*~*~FLASHBACK~*~*~*~_

_            Balamb Garden. Students roaming around, eating in the cafeteria, chatting in the halls, instructors scolding them for not studying, future SeeD members taking their field exams while those who passed are sent to missions or coming back from one. It had a set pace to follow and everyone had a part in it. However, that was a mere shadow compared to what it became. Heartless had sprung up everywhere and began their plague of destruction._

_            It all started when Cid disappeared without warning. Once again, Leon, or Squall as he had been called back then, had to take full responsibility and take charge. That's when the Shadows started to appear and attack. When he heard of the sudden surge, Squall called his companions to the bridge to from two parties. As usual, the girls, led by Quistis and Edea, who decided to help in place of her husband, made one party while the guys, led by Squall, of course, made the other. Everyone said their good lucks and went to their separate stations._

_            Carefully making their way to the front gate, Squall, Zell, and Irvine looked around for the Shadows, ready to strike. Usually, Seifer would have been helping them, but he was sent on a mission not too long ago._

_            "It's when we actually need Almasy when he's not here." stated Irvine._

_            "Who cares?" replied Zell. "It's not like we'll actually need his help anyway."_

_            "Quit it." Squall said. "Something's coming."_

_            The other two looked around to see black creatures with yellow eyes crawling to them from every direction. The three tensed up, and waited for the creatures to make the first move. One jumped at Squall, only to be slashed by the Gunblade. Each Heartless gave an attempt to take out one of the three fighters, and failing in the process. Soon enough, the three were able to clear the entrance of the Garden._

_            "What the hell were those things?" asked Zell, still tensed up._

_            "I don't know." said Squall. "But they're nothing like what we've ever encountered before."_

_            "And that's saying something." added Irvine._

_            "Let's check outside." Squall stated._

_            The Gunblade wielder led the others past the front gate and took a good look around._

_            "See anything?" he asked._

_            "Nothing." replied Irvine._

_            "Uh, guys?" said Zell, pointing to the cave of Ifirit. "What's that?"_

_            The other two looked at the cave, noticing one thing in particular: a doorframe surrounding the entrance, which, in particular, showed only darkness. Not even the lava's glow could be seen._

_            "You don't think…?" Irvine started._

_            "Maybe." Squall replied._

_            "Should we…you know, check it out?" asked Zell nervously. "It might be where those things are coming from."_

_            Squall merely nodded and led the way to the cave. Suddenly, he felt something wrong about the situation. Gripping the handle of his weapon, he quickly stopped in his tracks._

_            "Anything wrong?" Zell asked, earning no response._

_            "Squall?" said Irvine, snapping his fingers in front of the shorter brunette's face, also receiving no reply._

_            Shrugging, Zell began to move forward._

_            "ZELL! DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!" Squall shouted._

_            That's when it happened, so quickly, that Zell and Irvine didn't know what just occurred in front of their eyes._

_            As Zell turned, Squall ran forward as something tried to pull the blonde to the 'door' and pushed him back and in doing so, taking the place of the martial artist. A black, vine-like object swiftly wrapped around Squall and hauled him to the entrance. Zell and Irvine's eyes widened._

_            "SQUALL!"_

_            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

            That was all that he remembered. When he came to his senses, he was here, in Hollow Bastion.

            Slamming his fist on the table in front of him, he tried to calm his thoughts.

            '_I won't let the Heartless win again._' he thought. '_I'll make sure of that. I'll protect Sora, no matter what the cost. He's the only chance we all have left._'

A/N: Right, I hope that was enough for now. Sorry again, but I just couldn't find the time! First year's really booked up. Oh well, 'till next time! Don't forget to R&R!


	7. Myst

Disclaimer: check the first two chapters

A/N: Sorry, again for the delay, It's second term and projects are due. Plus, we went out for the Christmas break and intrums were right after, so you guys can see why I couldn't write anything.

            Well, here's the next chapter. Honestly, I'm not sure if I want to squeeze everything I'm planning into one story, it might get too long if I do. Oh well, I'll just let the chapters flow and see what goes from there. Thanks to those who reviewed, it means a lot.

            Nenya! Glad to see your back! ^_^ I give a special thanks to you for sticking to the fic. It's a great support on my behalf. Thanks if you think that they're not OOC. Sometimes I think that 'cause I tend to exaggerate what the characters will say. So, just tell me when they are, ok?

            Hell, as you asked, I'm dedicating this to you and to all my reviewers. Hope you enjoy!

            Oh, please note that the Heartless in this fic are most probably made up by myself since I don't know the Heartless in the new gamed of Kingdom Hearts. So, if any of you have any info on them, please don't hesitate to share them in the form of either a review or e-mail. As you guys might have guessed, this goes far from the stories of the two game sequels of Kingdom Hearts, but I still need the new heartless' info. Thanks a bunch! J

            Okay, enough with my rants, on with the chapter!

Myst 

            Gold, scarlet, orange and lavender lights that blended together as a figure watched the sunset that can be viewed best on the roof of the highest tower of Hollow Bastion. Blue eyes stared off to the scenery before them, as the owner contemplated on his thoughts.

            _'Why can't I have my own power to help for once? Making a deal with Hades only backfired and now I can't even aid the one who gave me hope.'_

Sighing, he decided he'd do what he could for now, and concentrated on the light of Sora's aura, a complete contrast from his: a dark and sullen source of energy. He sensed the boy's position somewhere in the midst of an unidentifiable void.

            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "This place just gets spookier by the second."

            "Pipe down Irvine! It doesn't help that you keep on declaring it out loud."

            "At least I don't tremble in my shoes, Zell!"

            "Of course not! You're busy shaking under your coat!"

            "You better take that back, Dincht!"

            Sora groaned, this was the third time that his two companions started bickering, and it wasn't doing him any good. The beam of light twisted and turned into different alleyways and streets and eventually came to a place that filled with a thick fog, making the light slightly blurry as it cut through the said haze.

            "Guys, can we not get to that again?" he stated, highly irritated at the two.

            The sharpshooter and martial artist growled at each other before staying silent as they followed the younger boy.

            "How long do you think we have to go?" Zell asked, breaking the stillness.

            "I'm not sure…" Sora replied. "But-"

            Cutting himself off, he looked around him looking for something.

            "Something's wrong."

            His companions must have sensed it as well, for Irvine had his rifle ready and Zell had his fists clenched and was in a ready position.

            "See anything?" Sora asked.

            "Nothing in this fog." said Irvine.

            "It's as if something's watching us…" Zell trailed off.

            Waiting for the blonde to continue, Sora and Irvine were confused as to why the martial artist didn't say anything further. Turning to the said man, they saw the reason of his silence: in the haze were three floating mists of darkness. One was currently inching towards Zell, who seemed to be in a trance of some sort.

            "What are you doing Dincht!?" Irvine shouted. "Dodge that thing! It's about to-"

            Sora snapped his attention to the taller brunette and was shocked to see that some sort of vapor, similar to the color of the mists, was speeding around his eyes and eventually, as if satisfied with it's accomplishment, rushed back to the second dark mist, a symbol glowing faintly before disappearing into the darkness. Sora's eyes widened.

            _'Heartless!'_

            As he thought that, the final mist turned towards him, two red eyes flashing at him. Sora then felt weak as the world spun around him.

            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Leon looked up from his place at the table as someone busted in, slamming the doors open. Seeing the familiar black wing, he frowned as he recognized the intruder as Cloud.

            "What is it?" he asked the ex-SOLDIER.

            "It's Sora, he's being attacked by something." Cloud informed.

            "By what?"

            "I don't know, I can't identify its aura, but it feels powerful. More so than any regular Heartless."

            Leon fell silent at this and pondered at the current situation. Cloud frowned at the hidden meaning of the silence.

            "You don't plan to help him, do you?" he stated more than asked.

            Leon turned away, remaining silent as he concentrated on calling Sora through the link. As he attempted at this, he almost blacked out as a barrier of darkness prevented him from contacting the boy. He broke the connection just in time and tried to catch his breath before responding.

            "There is no way to help him for now. I can't contact him; there seems to be some sort of strange energy blocking me off, I can't get through; I just used too much energy the first time."

            "So you plan just to sit and not do anything at all?"

            "I've already done a part in this." Leon said. "Why don't you try to do yours?"

            It was Cloud's turn to fall quiet.

            "What are you talking about?" he inquired.

            "I'm surprised that you can't contact Sora when you can sense him." said Leon, simply. "I am not walking away just because I can't contact him, for I'll make sure that he doesn't wind up in darkness."

            The blonde looked at Leon as if the man had grown a third head. However, hearing sense in his words, he concentrated on Sora once more, harder, and tried to make a connection.

            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            A cloaked figure stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the town where Sora, Zell and Irvine were currently in.

            "Pity, I was hoping to defeat you myself, Keyblade master." the form said in a deep voice. "You should have heeded my warning."

            A dark portal appeared underneath his feet as a NeoWyvern was summoned. Stepping on the Heartless' back, he was carried over the city so he could have a better view of what was occurring inside.

            "Let us now see what you shall accomplish as you are forced to live an altered version of either your worst experience or fear."

            Sensing the boy's aura, the figure chuckled darkly before continuing.

            "Will you succeed in waking? Or will you give in to the sorrow and let the Mysts take your soul into their never ending space of darkness? You must now fight the force that finished off all those who entered of the town of nightmares."

A/N: I know it's bad of me to leave it there, but I'm having a bad case of writer's block! T_T Note that I gave the Heartless the name of 'Myst' okay? Just in case any of you haven't figured that out yet.

            Anyway, hope you liked it. R&R pls! 

            Okay, I usually don't do this but I think I owe you guys for not updating in so long.

                        Preview of next chapter:

                        Chapter 8: Nightmare

                        _"Riku! What's wrong?"_

                        _"I am not the Riku you know. I am a copy. He is now one of us."_

"What's happening?" Cloud asked, feeling a dark surge through the connection.

                        "Sora's weakening, he thinks we're part of the nightmare he's having."

                        "If we don't do something now he could die!"

                        "You disappoint me, Keyblade master." said the figure. "I was suspecting more from you and your companions."

            Those enough to keep you guys on the edge of you seats? I hope so. I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Once again, R&R!


	8. Nightmare

Disclaimer: Check the first two chapters.

A/N: Huzzah! It's back! After two years it's back! Got new inspiration for the fic from KH2, and now that I've actually retrieved the file, I'm gonna try and integrate it with KH2. So expect Nobodies, the new summons (especially STITCH!), the new clothes, and stuff like that to make their appearances! I still might make my own Heartlesses and Nobodies if needed, but other than that, I'll be using the game's info.

Thanks to **Black Night Angel**, **Nenya**, **Hell**, and **Alc Fluteo **for reviewing. It really helps a lot.

Well, I won't hold you from reading the fic any longer than you already have. Enjoy and don't forget to R&R!

* * *

**Nightmare**

Sora groaned, opening his eyes to a clear, blue sky.

"Where am I?" he asked out loud, trying to remember recent events. "What happened to me?"

Suddenly, he jolted into a sitting position, remembering his two companions had been surrounded by the mysterious Heartless.

"Zell! Irvine!" he called, but then became speechless at the familiar scenery.

He couldn't believe his eyes, couldn't believe what he was seeing, that he had to pinch himself and rub his eyes just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.

"It can't be…" he whispered. "Destiny Islands?"

He was in the shallow waters near the plateau. There was no mistaking it, the silence and serenity of the place didn't waver. He waded to the small area of terrain at the base of the plateau and just stood there, still not believing if this was real. Making it to the top, he was met with a strange and uncomfortable silence. It was as if he was transported to an alternate world of Destiny Islands where time had naver moved. Suddenly, he felt a quick tap on his shoulder. Spinning around, he failed to summon his weapon at an unsuspected sight.

"Riku?"

--------------------

"_Zell! Irvine! Get up!_"

The SeeD member and Galbadia sharpshooter groaned at the sound.

"Ugh, what's going on?" Zell whispered, holding his head.

"Sora, what happened?" Irvine asked.

"What are you two mumbling about? Get up! We don't have time to waste!" a familiar voice ordered.

At once, the two's eyes snapped open, disbelief written all over their faces. They looked at their surroundings, and were greeted by the sight of Balamb Garden surrounded in darkness, with the Heartless attacking once again. What surprised them most, however, was the figure they never thought they'd see again.

"Squall?"

--------------------

The cloaked figure seemed to grin under the darkness of his hood, and sat down on the NeoWyvern he was perched on.

"Interesting," he said. "This information will come in handy if they ever escape the Mysts."

As he observed the internal battle the three warriors were forced to partake, a black vapor floated up from each of the Mysts that captured Sora, Zell, and Irvine, and began circling each Myst. The strange Heartless then began to absorb the strange wisps of darkness, growing in size as they did.

The figure of darkness then gave of the only light coming from his body: two glowing, menacing bloodshot eyes, as a horrible laugh then echoed the platinum streets of the empty town, giving it an even more eerie atmosphere.

--------------------

"Riku! You're okay!" Sora exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Of course I'm okay. What'd you expect form me?" Riku asked.

"I guess you're right," the other replied, scratching his head. "But can you blame me? After all that happened I have the right to be worried."

"What do you mean after all that happened?" the silver-haired teen repeated. "We just snuck out to Destiny Islands a few minutes ago! Nothing's happened yet! Well, at least until we set sail."

"What?"

Sora was dumbfounded. Riku was acting like the time when they were about to sail off from Destiny Islands before the whole fiasco with the Heartless began.

"Hello? Earth to Sora!" Riku called impatiently.

"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking." Sora stated. "You…wouldn't happen to remember the Heartless, wouldn't you?"

"The what? What did you dream about this time?"

"I didn't-I…I dunno…um, go on ahead. I'll catch up with you," said Sora.

"Fine, but just make sure you don't doze off again." Riku replied. "Ah, by the way, I've got something to show you, so meet me by the shack when you're done here."

"Uhn."

Sora couldn't believe it. It was all just a dream? Checking his pockets, he began to panic when he found out that he no longer had any of the key chains that he collected over his journey, and moreover, he could not even summon his Keyblade.

Then, in an instant, the blue skies were covered in dark clouds, lighting flashing and a booming thunder that sounded like a low laugh. He steeled himself and went to the only place that was of any importance as of the moment.

'_What's going on?'_

-------------------- _  
_

"Stop gawking, what is wrong with you two?" asked the SeeD commander. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Squall? What…what happened?"

"You both got attacked by those things and passed out."

"P-passed out?"

"What, first time you've heard of the term, Kinneas?" Squall asked, patience thinning.

"This can't be…" Zell said, backing away from his commander. "Wha-what just happened?"

Those familiar grayish-blue eyes looked at the blonde in slight exasperation before the Gunblade wielder replied.

"We were exploring the surrounding area to find if we could gather any information on the strange creatures that have been appearing. Before we could achieve in anything, though, you and Kinneas were knocked out by a couple of those things. I took care of the nuisances, woke you two up, and now you're talking to me."

"But-" Zell mumbled, continuing to back away from the best friend that he thought dead.

"ZELL! DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!" Squall shouted, running towards the terrified blonde.

Zell's and Irvine's eyes widened at the familiar statement and realized too late that they were standing right before Ifrit's cave. Zell felt the air knocked right out of him as Squall pushed him from harms way.

"SQUALL, NO!"

--------------------

"RIKU!"

Sora's eyes widened upon entering the shack as he saw his friend being held by wisps of darkness. The silver-haired youth in question just gazed back at him with hollow eyes, making no indication that he heard the younger one's call.

"Riku, snap out of it! You have to get out of there!" Sora tried again, growing desperate.

"You're truly a fool…" said a voice that reverberated in the confined area of the shack.

Suddenly, the darkness dropped Riku, disappearing as if it was never there. Sora was quickly made his way to the other's side, but was halted when Riku raised his hand.

"Don't come near me…" said the older teen in a strained voice.

"Riku! What's wrong?"

A deep chuckle filled the young brunette with a chilling sense of dread. Riku snapped his head up, looking at him with aquamarine eyes filled with such fierce intensity that they seemed to glow of their own light.

"I am not the Riku you know," replied the other. "I am a copy. He is now one of us."

With those words, everything turned black. No matter which way Sora would turn, darkness surrounded him. The only illumination coming from a small platform of which he and the other stood.

--------------------

It was like watching a horror movie right before their eyes. Helpless as they couldn't do anything but let the happenings unravel before them.

"Not again…" Zell muttered. "SQUALL!"

He made to run towards his friend, but found his path blocked as creatures of the darkness appeared by the mass in front of him.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he shouted, punching the one closest to him.

"Zell, get down!" Irvine shouted, shooting a rather large one that made a jump for the blonde.

They fought, trying to make a path to the SeeD commander, but stopped in their tracks as a blood-curling scream reached their ears. Fearing what he was about to see, the blone slowly looked up at the captive of the dark vines.

"Squall?" he asked.

Everything seemed to stop as the vines slowly unraveled to reveal the brunette in question.

"Oh no…" Irvine muttered, dropping his riffle.

The vines moved closer to them, continuing to gradually unravel the captive they held in their grasp. Zell's eyes widened as he felt something wet drop onto his face. Wiping it off, he brought his hand to his eyes for a closer inspection.

"_Blood…_"

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"Wh-What are you saying Riku…" Sora asked, starting to back away.

The being that looked like Riku sneered at the younger one and snapped his fingers, and in an instant, millions of yellow, glowing eyes appeared in the vast darkness.

"While you were gallivanting around with your little squad, we got busy with the friends you abandoned to the Heartless…"

"What!" Sora shouted indignantly. "I never abandoned anyone!"

"What do you call closing the Door To Darkness while your silver-haired friend and the King were still in Kingdom Hearts?" the other mocked.

"I-I…"

"The Heartless began to wander without the Dark Masters…" the voice continued on. "That is…until we came around."

"What are you talking about?" said Sora. "WHAT ARE YOU?"

"I, and others like me, am a being above Heartless, able to control these pathetic little bugs at whim," the other replied, sneer still in place. "Withou you in the way, it made things quite easy for us…"

The copy snapped its fingers again, and NeoShadows came out, carrying what suspiciously looked like a body shrouded in black. Sora's eyes widened as he saw the distinct shape of a shield dangling from one side.

"No…" he whispered, shaking his head. "It can't be…"

The copy moved closer to the body and waved its hand over it.

"This one almost made it back to his home," the other explained, as if telling a classic tale. "Although he was reduced to this when trying to defend the Wizard."

Two glowing yellow eyes snapped open as the body stood up on its own accord, the NeoShadows retreating back into the darkness. Sora couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Goofy?" he said, staring at the form of his once carefree companion.

He received no reply as the yellow eyes stared blankly ahead.

"His efforts were useless though," the copy continued, snapping his fingers once again.

From above, a Sorcerer Heartless descended beside Goofy, depositing another body on the ground. Sora began to shake as the copy waved its hand over the lifeless form. There was a ruffle of feathers as the second figure stood up, yellow eyes opening and staring lifelessly.

"Donald…"

"These two were surprisingly useful," the copy started again, throwing his arms out to the side. "What with their vast knowledge of words…"

"YOU DIDN'T!" Sora interrupted, eyes growing impossibly wider.

"You underestimate us, _Keyblade Master," _the other scoffed. "Why waste some of the most powerful beings in the universe?"

One by one, bodies were placed beside the Wizard and the Knight, figures Sora recognized as the copy brought them into motion.

"Yuffie, Aerith, Cid…"

"There were two of them left on Hollow Bastion…" said the other, ignoring the smaller one. "but I'm sure they'll come running once they know we have you here."

"No…NO! You leave all of them out of this!" Sora screamed.

The Keyblade Master was shaking terribly now as the lifeless yellow eyes of the people he knew and cared about stared at him lifelessly.

"It's too late for them, boy," said the copy, not once relenting. "It was over for them when you abandoned them. Now, only two remain…"

'_SORA!_'

The young one's eyes widened at the familiar voice.

"_Cloud…?_"

'_SORA! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU?_'

The copy laughed at the turn of events.

"Well now…just in time, don't you think?"

Sora's mouth became dry as he realized the implications of what the other just said.

"_Don't come after me…" _he whispered.

'_SORA! ANSWER ME!_'

Sora shut his eyes and covered his ears as he dropped to his knees on the ground.

"_DON'T COME AFTER ME! STAY AWAY!_"

--------------------

Leon looked up to see the ex-SOLDIER strugling to keep his balance after being violently forced off the link.

"What's happening?" Cloud asked, panting, as he felt a dark power surge through the faint connection.

"Sora's weakening," Leon replied, managing to grasp at the link. "He thinks we're part of the nightmare he's having."

"How could he think that we're part of it?" Cloud retorted, slamming his hands on the desk Leon was at. "Surely hearing us must give him a clue that we're from the outside!"

"It seems that the Heartless he's dealing with is more powerful than we thought," said the other. "It's improvising with every turn of events. It's as if it will stop at nothing to keep Sora where he is."

"What should we do, then?" Cloud asked, growing angrier. "If we don't do something now he could die!"

"I…don't know…"

Cloud clenched his fists as his eyes darkened.

"There has to be a way to reach him," he said, grabbing a fistful of his hair.

"We have to try contacting him at the same time," Leon suddenly said.

"What good will that do? The Heartless might just use it against him," muttered Cloud.

"It's our only hope," Leon replied as he glared at the blonde. "If we make a connection strong enough, it just might be the thing he needs to snap out of it."

Cloud looked at the other with distrust, but was ignored as the ex-SeeD commander closed his eyes. Grumbling under his breath, he followed suit and concentrated once more on trying to make a connection.

Neither of them noticed their blades glowing at their sides.

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Above the Town of Nightmares, the black figure never moved from his position on the NeoWyvern's back as he studied the life forces of the three below him.

"You disappoint me, Keyblade Master," he said. "I was suspecting more from you and your companions."

Looking at Sora, he saw that the Myst that had captured the boy had grown thrice the size of the other two combined.

"Look at this," he commented, laughing darkly. "It seems that you've been hiding great darkness in your heart. No matter, if you are defeated here, then your heart might just be the thing we need for Kingdom Hearts."

The figure was about to gesture to the Heartless he rode to turn back when a beam of light shone from the sky to land directly on the Keyblade master. Curious, the figure ordered the NeoWyvern to go lower on the ground.

"Interesting," he seemed to smirk after making its observation. "You have a few more tricks up your sleeve, I see."

Sora's body began to emit a light similar to the beam that hit him.

"You impress me, Kayblade Master!" shouted the figure in twisted glee. "You might just be the first one to survive the Town of Nightmares."

It cackled as the light barely reached the other two who were with the young brunette.

"Will you be able to save your friends, tough?" it asked randomly. "No matter, we only need the Keyblade, after all."

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**A/N: **There you go! Chapter 8 is finally out! Slight cliffhanger, I know, but it's the only way to end this chapter. If I try to make it any longer it will lose its plot and structure. I'll continue to try in updating this and "Two can make a Difference." Thanks for your patience, though, so I hope you haven't given up on my fics yet, 'cause I'm sure that I haven't!

In the meantime, you can enjoy the one-shots that I will be putting up. Like I said, while retrieving the files in the other computer, I'll be posting one-shot fics to at least update my profile.

Untill next time, then :D


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